As a teacher, I had an "idea" of what instructional designers did but...
I remember all too well being in the classroom as a teacher and knowing it was time for me to move forward but not knowing what to do next. I was very interested in instructional design but I only had a very vague idea about what they did. Was I really going to leave what I was a rockstar at for something so unknown?
Let me de-mystify for you what an instructional designer does so that you can make an informed decision.
The simplest way to describe what an instructional designer does is to say that they determine what people need to learn and how they will learn it, they create the learning resources that are needed, ensure the learning strategies and resources are effective, and make improvements to learning strategies and resources so that learners effectively come away with what they need to know. That answer though seems about as vague as describing what a doctor does by saying, “They help people be healthy and well.” It’s true, but it gives someone no insight into whether or not they’d want that job and the day-to-day work involved in it.
What do instructional designers do?
This question can be a bit like asking, “What do doctors do?” And while you could say, “They help people be healthy and well” that answer is so vague that it doesn’t help anyone know if they’d want that job and the day-to-day work involved in it.
Here is a simplified description of the roles of instructional designers.
Instructional designers do the following:
- Determine what people need to learn
- Determine how they will learn it
- Create the learning resources that are needed
- Ensure the learning strategies and resources are effective
- Make improvements to learning strategies and resources so that learners effectively come away with what they need to know
To help you understand what you could do as an instructional designer designer, let me show you some of the places where they work and describe some of the work they do there.
Where do instructional designers work?
While some instructional designers work on-site, some work remotely, and others have a mix of each. Some work full-time, some part-time, and others work flexibly as contractors. There are soooo many different options and opportunities. Below are the main kinds of companies or work opportunities for instructional designers.
Education Companies
Create lessons.
Design learning materials.
Non-edu Companies
Create learning resources for employees and those the company serves.
Universities
Help professors teach effectively.
Create online learning materials.
Agencies
Create learning experiences and resources for a variety of companies.
Independent Freelancer
Be your own company and help others with the instructional design work you do best.
More Detail about Where Instructional Designers Work
Education Companies
Whether it’s an ed-tech or a curriculum providing company, instructional designers are needed to help determine what students need to know and be able to do. (Think “lesson plan”.) They then determine how the students will learn that. (Think “lesson plan” or learning strategy.) After that, instructional designers help create the learning resources and materials and make needed improvements to them over time.
Non-education Companies
Instructional designers help create training materials for new hires, professional development and learning experiences to help people learn and progress, and so much more. Some create resources for online learning and for live training experiences.
Universities and School Organizations
Many instructional designers at universities and school organizations work with professors to help them teach more effectively. Professors tend to know their content well but oftentimes don’t know how to relay that information to students well. Who knows how to do that incredibly well? Teachers!
Agencies
Companies turn to agencies to help develop a lot of their training and learning resources. Whether it’s online lessons that a new hire completes to learn how to do their role effectively, or a live training that an employee attends to know how to be a better communicator, instructional designers are the magic behind the scenes that determine what everyone will experience, see, read, and do, and how they will be evaluated at the end.
Their Own Independent Freelance Instructional Design Company
Instructional designers can also be their own company. If there is a specific aspect of instructional design that you enjoy doing and you want to provide that service to clients or client companies, this may be a great route for you. Some of the members in our course want to work independently with course creators to help them create effective courses while others want to work independently to create instructional videos for clients.
Why are teachers some of the best IDs?
As a teacher, you more than anyone in any other field, about what constitutes effective instruction. You have more training and years of personal experience working day in and day out with soooo many aspects of instructional design. As a teacher you already understand learning objectives and use a variety of instructional methods. You already know educational theories to understand how people learn effectively. You have already created or ”designed” learning experiences, learning materials and even learning assessments. Instructional design is simply doing those same things in a different setting. If you only knew how valuable and needed your educator skills are in these settings too!
How can a teacher know if they would enjoy being an ID?
Ask yourself the self-inventory questions categorized below under different types of instructional designer roles. If you answer yes to any of the following, instructional design would be a great option for you!
Instructional Designer Role:
- I like thinking about how people can learn effectively.
- I enjoy strategizing how people can engage meaningfully and enjoyably in a learning experience.
- I have creative ideas about how to make learning dynamic, personally relevant, and applicable.
- I enjoy learning theories and instructional methods
Instructional Design/Developer Role:
- I like “building” or creating learning materials and resources: PowerPoints, Worksheets, lesson plans/lesson guides, web-based learning experiences, etc.
- I like making learning materials or resources that can be used by many learners after that, not limited to one classroom at one time.
Instructional Design/Content Writer Role:
- I like writing the content that will be inside of a learning resource: The text in a powerpoint, the instructions that would appear on the screen, the words in a learner’s booklet, etc.
What do I need to become an ID?
You need 5 things to become an instructional designer:
- An understanding of the work an instructional designer does
- Experience working in the tools of instructional design
- A portfolio showcasing the instructional design skills you already have
- A solid resume and cover letter
- Great interviewing skills
- ***I also recommend having a professional network to help you understand the world of instructional design and to help you be connected to actual work opportunities.
I’ll tell you all about how you can get each of these in this FREE TRAINING “From Teacher to Instructional Designer!”
What do people usually do if they want to become an instructional designer?
All too often people assume getting a certificate or degree in ID will somehow magically land them a job. That’s oftentimes not the case. Those routes oftentimes don’t include hands-on experience, portfolio work, or the development of a resume and a cover letter. And if your program is online, it’s very unlikely that you will develop any connections for a professional network which is one of the most important things to land a job.
How can I as a teacher become an instructional designer?
The free training From Teacher to Instructional Designer will show you how teachers specifically can do what I did: go from being a classroom teacher to becoming an instructional designer smoothly and confidently. Here is some of what you will come away with after the free training and that you’ll learn that you can get in a course I have for teachers as well:
- Teacher Transition Training: I’ll show you how your teacher skills already qualify you to become an ID and why you don’t need to go back to grad school to become one.
- I’ll teach you the skills, terminology, and software you need to know.
- Ready with a Resume Template: A pre-built, customizable resume template and cover letter template that are already loaded with teacher skills and experience and which communicate to hiring managers in business language rather than teacher language what they need to know about your skills.
- Convert Your Cover Letter Template: A pre-built, customizable cover letter template that includes teacher experience and skills and creates a warm welcome between you and the companies where you want to apply.
- Options and Opportunities: Awareness of current job opportunities for instructional design.
- A Personal Portfolio for you to showcase your work as an ID for hiring managers.
- Interview Like the Rockstar You Are Training: Learn from a hiring manager who has interviewed countless teachers trying to get their next job.
- Access to our Private Community!
- ID’s Template Toolkit: This will help streamline your instructional design work.
- Guest Speaker Gallery: Hear from former teachers who are now instructional designers to learn what they do and how they landed their jobs.
- Potential opportunities to work on real projects for real clients.
- Experience doing instructional design!
